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Monday, February 24, 2014

Part Two of my interview with Dianne Salerni, author of THE EIGHTH DAY -- and a Giveaway!

We're back with Part Two of my interview with Dianne Salerni, author of The Eighth Day, coming from HarperCollins in April.

You teach full time, have family obligations, keep up with your blog twice a week, AND you're very generous with advice and beta reading for less experienced writers, like me (thank you!). When do you find time to WRITE?

I write whenever I’m not teaching. Ask my family. They’ll tell you I’m attached to my laptop, that I can be obsessive, and it’s sometimes hard to get my full attention!

I do most of my blog reading and commenting in the mornings over coffee. I will write in the late afternoons, evenings, and weekends. What I’m writing impacts when I do it. I can revise already-written words at any time of day, but new words come most easily late in the evening.

So, if I’m facing the first draft of a new chapter, I will probably work on blog-related stuff or beta-reading in the afternoons and early evening (and promotional things like this interview!) and wait for the Muse to show up around 9 pm!

You are repped by Sara Crowe of the Harvey Klinger Agency. Can you briefly fill us in on how you got your agent?

I signed my first contract un-agented and quickly realized I didn’t know what I was doing. I started looking for an agent shortly before We Hear the Dead was published, but it took months to land with Sara. I had plenty of outright rejections and two full Revise & Resubmits that ended in “passes” during that time. As disheartening as those R & R rejections were, I credit them for helping me produce a manuscript that was worth reading before I queried Sara.

Your first two novels, We Hear the Dead and The Caged Graves, were YA. How different did it feel to write MG?

The manuscript I called “Grunsday” started out as YA too! It was my agent Sara who recommended that I revise it for MG, and as soon as she did, I saw the potential in that change. Writing the MG voice was a lot of fun for me. Maybe that’s because I’m around kids all day.

The one thing I miss from YA is romance. But Jax has a couple of YA friends with an understated romance going on, so I get to play around with it a little. Jax knows the romance is brewing, and he’s rooting for them, but he doesn’t want to know the details! Eww.

Ha! That's great. The Eighth Day will be a series. Can you give us any hints about Book 2?

Well, Jax Aubrey is an orphan, living with 18 year old Riley Pendare, who was named as his guardian by Jax’s dad before he died. But there are a lot of things Rayne Aubrey lied about – and a very specific reason he chose Riley as Jax’s protector.

Turns out, Jax has relatives, and they want him back. And when Jax finds out who they are, his world is turned upside-down and backwards.

Oh, cool! What a great hint. Now I can’t wait for book two! Thanks so much, Dianne.

* * * * *

And now, readers, I have a two-part giveaway. First, I'm giving away my ARC of The Eighth Day to one lucky winner I will choose at random.Second, I will give away a pre-ordered, SIGNED hardcover copy of THE EIGHTH DAY to another lucky winner, also chosen at random. I will get it signed at Dianne's book launch in April.All you need to do to enter this giveaway is be a follower and comment on this post. If you tweet about it or mention on facebook, let me know and I'll give you extra chances. I would give you an extra day, but that only happens in this book! International entries welcome. This giveaway ends at 10pm EST on Sunday March 9 and the winners will be announced on Monday March 10.

Every time I see Dianne with this book I want to cry. Yes, it's that profound for me. She's one of my oldest and dearest blogging bud, CPs, and all-around inspirations. Believe it or not, she was my first Twitter friend, and she private messaged me. ((Hugs)), Dianne. But she already knows how much I heart her. I'm not entering the giveaway, but best of luck to all! (Already have my copy in da' works...)

Sheri, you are so sweet!!! Hugs right back to you!And I think Blogger switched some buttons around on us, because I have hit that "Sign out" button instead of publish WAY too often. (Why is it even there?)

Anxious for this one! Thanks for the chances at winning it! Diane, I, too, can only write new words at certain times of the day. Afternoon works best for me, the problem is is that supper-prep always interferes. So irritating. :-)

Good interview, and I like the premise. Cool that it's going to be a series! I'd like to read that book.My writing schedule is similar in someways: social catch up in a.m. and new writing in the afternoon. I'd never make it past 9 p.m., though. That's bedtime for me.

Hey, we didn't both write about Dianne this week! As you know, I'm a huge fan--but don't enter me in the giveaway, as I intend to buy my own copy in support of my Project Mayhem bud. (But if you snag an ARC for book 2, then all bets are off!)

P.S. I'm a morning person and a morning writer. I can't even read past 9 o'clock without some major nodding off/book smack in the face sort of stuff.

I'm really looking forward to reading this! I'd love to win a copy.And I have to second what you've said about Dianne's generosity. I was so impressed during DL Hammons' WRiTE CLUB to see how encouraging and considerate she was in the many, many comments she left for participants. (And I have to say the same thing about you, Joanne, as well.)

Hi, Janet! I feel pretty busy these days. I was hoping to get the second draft of Book 3 finished before the copy-edited version of Book 2 came back needing my attention. I did not win the race. I need a couple more days on Book 3, and the Book 2 manuscript just turned up tonight. Erg.

Glad to hear Dianne has the good taste of being another night-owl writer. ;) And that sequel sounds fantastic, too! Can't wait!

Joanne, I'd love to get an ARC of your book, so please enter me in that giveaway, but I already won a copy of Dianne' book elsewhere so it would be selfish of me to enter here for it again. Aren't I sweet to play nice? lol

I was looking forward to finding out more after last week's interview with Dianne and it was great to learn more about her and her writing. I like to write late at night too! :) Dianne sounds super busy, but she also sounds very organized. Wishing her the best of luck and I can't wait to read her books. :)

Thanks so much for the giveaway. I am an old follower (GFC Jess Haight) and I Google +'d it and tweeted. https://twitter.com/dmsfiles/status/438146361540612097

Jess, I enjoy the late night writing, although I don't feel particularly organized this week. I tempted fate by suggesting to Michael and Joanne the copy-editing for Bk 2 was going to take awhile longer -- and landed myself with a new deadline. Eek.

Medeia, if you want to be a writer, you have to learn to accept rejection. Even after you get published, not all the books you write will get sold. Some get shelved, and that's hard ... but part of the game.As you know!

Bright Blessings Joanne! Thank you very much for this opportunity and interview. It's always nice to see what's inside a person's vision. I have shared this giveaway on my twitter and facebook accounts (faeladybug), and I've also joined your blog and twitter. Fingers crossed!

Fellow Book Brains

About Me

A former bookseller and current SCBWI member, I write children's books, poetry, and flash fiction. My short fiction has appeared in Vine Leaves Literary Journal, Every Day Fiction and Twisted Endings.
I'm a survivor of a ruptured brain aneurysm, so I'm allowed to occasionally forget something.
I post on Mondays, except when I'm too busy writing!

Sometimes I tweet

My Review Policy

While I'm happy to accept review copies provided by publishers, and I do read as many as possible, I can't guarantee a review on the blog. If I don't consider it at least a 4-star book, I simply won't review it. I'm very sorry, but at this time, I'm still not reviewing self-published books or books you had to pay to publish.